A team lead by Poverty Alleviation Minister Rosy Akbar recently conducted a profiling exercise of those begging on the streets of Nadi, Lautoka and Ba.

The Ministry has established a dedicated response team called, “Operation Loloma” with assigned vehicles, the western and the central division that continually monitors the streets.

In the western division alone, 52 have been profiled into categories of mentally challenged, homeless, single mothers, widows, senior citizens and physically disabled.

In Suva, 82 of them had been profiled, and 15 of them have been assisted through income livelihood programs.

The Ministry has also reunited some of them with their families.

There are 12 residents currently living at the Colo-i-Suva Rehabilitation Centre known as the, “Good Samaritan Inn,” that was officially opened last year by the Ministry.

Akbar the Ministry is working with the municipal councils and police to help identify and address the root causes of begging.